Growth Rate of acquisition of U.S. patents – Taiwan continues to hold the post of champion for three successive years
E020619Y1 Jul. 2002（E35）
According to the statistics of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the number of approved U.S. utility patents increased 5% in 2001. Taiwan has been the champion of global growth rate for three successive years and its annual change rate reaches 15%. Moreover, the total number of the patents acquired by Taiwan, that is, 5,371 ranks the 4th in the world. LEHMAN BROTHERS analyzed and said that the technical standards of Taiwan get ahead of Mainland China for fifteen years. In addition, on the part of patented technologies, Taiwan is far ahead of many advanced countries. Obviously, the science and technology industry of Taiwan has become a high value-added industry with very expectable prospects.
Furthermore, Chinese enterprises acquired almost 42% of U.S. utility patents in 2001. However, such patents were actually acquired by Taiwanese enterprises stationed in Mainland China. The fact that Taiwan controls the approved US patents acquired by Mainland China shows that Taiwan will continually play a crucial role in the hi-tech industry of Mainland China, according to the LEHMAN. The data indicates that Hung Hai is the most vigorous enterprise which applies for U.S. patent from Mainland China. During the period between 1997 and 2001, Hung Hai had acquired 47 approved U.S. utility patents (since 1999) from Mainland China.
On the other side, Taiwan continues to expand the occupancy rate of the fastest growing semiconductor process patents. In 2001, the aforementioned rate was 21%, far more than the 14% in 1997. In particular, UMC and TSMC again manifest their heavyweight position. In 2001, UMC acquired 438 semiconductor process patents and ranked the 3rd in the world, and TSMC acquired 395 semiconductor process patents and ranked the 4th in the world.
Source: China Times 06/19/2002
